Elara's words echoed in Kael's mind long after she vanished into the shadows. If the gods were mere puppets, then who or what controlled them? And what role did Kael play in all of this?
Kael's journey had always been driven by his thirst for revenge, but now that thirst was becoming something darker. It was no longer about personal vendetta—it was about freeing the realms from a system that had enslaved them all. But how? Where could he even begin?
His path took him deep into the underworld, to a place where even the gods dared not tread: the City of the Forgotten. It was a place where ancient secrets were buried, where outcasts, rebels, and beings of unimaginable power gathered. It was here that Kael hoped to find answers—or, at the very least, someone who could help him.
As he entered the city, a wave of unease washed over him. The air was thick with magic, the streets crawling with strange, powerful figures. It was a world unlike anything Kael had ever known—familiar yet alien, a place where power was the only currency.
He met with a mysterious figure known only as Ryn, a warlock who had once been a part of the gods' inner circle. Ryn's true name was lost to time, and his allegiance was as murky as his past, but he had the knowledge Kael sought.
"What the gods have told you is a lie," Ryn said, his voice low and conspiratorial. "They are not the creators of this world. They are the keepers of a prison. The true rulers are the Architects—beings of unimaginable power, long forgotten by both mortals and immortals. They created the gods, and they control everything."
Kael's mind raced. "Why would the gods serve them?"
Ryn chuckled, a dark, unsettling sound. "Because they have no choice. The Architects control the very fabric of reality. They created the gods to keep the balance intact, to maintain order. And in return, the gods were given power—limitless power, but at a cost. They are bound by the laws of the Architects, and those laws cannot be broken."
Kael's fists clenched in fury. "Then what's left for me? What can I do?"
Ryn's eyes gleamed with an unsettling wisdom. "You are the key. You were never just a tool of the gods, Kael. You are a weapon forged to break their chains. But to do so, you'll need to sacrifice everything you've ever known."